On Friday, February 8, 2025, the anticipation of what has been a lifelong journey finally coming to fruition was at an all-time high as loved ones gathered around to watch Trinity Lavant’s hard work and dedication pay off.
Lavant, who has been running track since she was nine years old, found her passion for track as a freshman, and she has been a true standout in everything she has touched in her track career. Lavant is a former Junior Olympic finalist, and she has been a prodigy in the sport since the moment she fell in love with it.
Claxton High Principal Dr. Paul Mizell and assistant principal Randy Cooper started the signing event off by reflecting on how proud they and the entire school are about Trinity’s accomplishment of taking the next pivotal steps in the athletic journey.
“This is so exciting that not many athletes have the opportunity to do this. So we're just so proud of Trinity, and I know her parents are just ecstatic. This all has to do with hard work. Trinity has worked extremely hard to get to this point, and you can see from the medals on the table. Hard work pays off. So we're very proud of her,” said Mizell.
Next to speak to everyone in attendance was Chris Oglesby. Chris is the head coach of the Claxton’s track and field team, and he is also the father of Trinity Lavant. Chris has been beside Trinity throughout this entire journey not only wearing the hat of being a coach, but also the hat of being a loving father.
As Chris spoke, looking back on the long journey getting to this point, he reflected on how things came to be for Trinty’s track and field career. Chris referenced how he never would have thought that track would be the sport for his daughter after she originally cried during the starting gun at her first-ever meet. Trinity competed in the Junior Olympics two years in a row, which means out of 12,000 athletes who are competing, she finished top eight in the United States.
Chris attested to how his daughter's track career truly hit its stride after she began running at the high school level. Since the beginning of her high school career, the two have put in non-stop work for 52 weeks throughout the year, leading to Trinity competing at the state championship each year of her high school tenure.
“I think that she'll have a lot of success being around better athletes competing every day because it's really hard to be the best, and so far ahead of people that you're competing against when you're training, and you don't have that person that's not gonna let you slack, because your slack is somebody else's best. And you know, to have her to continue to set goals and try to reach these goals and make it this far, I think it's well deserved. I'm just proud,” said Chris.
Trinity would then stand up in front of the audience filled with those who have been supporting her from the beginning to thank each person for the impact they have had on her career and life with pure gratitude as she steps into the next chapter.
The final closing statements would come from Eisha Oglesby, Trinity's mother, who has been a cornerstone in her life and career like her father. Eisha would explain to the crowd the blessing of making it to this point today, as she expressed the early uphill battle they endured.
At one year of age, it was initially predicted by doctors that Trinity would not be able to walk due to issues with her legs. She would undergo orthopedic treatments including leg braces and potential leg breaks.
She was prayed over by the pastors at the childcare center she attended, and miraculously, Trinity recovered and could walk, surprising doctors who had assumed her legs needed to be broken to be corrected. Eisha explained how she has just been amazed by this blessing, and she is completely astonished that her daughter’s legs have granted her such levels of success.
The moment of truth came about as Trinity Lavant officially signed her letter of intent to take her talents as a student athlete to Georgia Southern University.
The Claxton High School alma mater leads students to hold the ideals of living eternally with love, honor, and devotion. Trinity looks to carry all of these lessons from her school, coaches, family, and loved ones as she starts to soar with the Eagles on the track.
